Cincinnati asks students where streets feel most dangerous as it updates Safe Routes to School plan

Nearly one in four traffic crashes in Cincinnati over a three-year period happened within 1,000 feet of a school, according to city officials. Now, the city is asking students where they feel most at risk and what needs to change.

For Ava Robinson, getting to school safely isn't an abstract conversation about traffic data or city plans. She says she's already had one close call.

WATCH: Cincinnati students share their ideas on the Safe Routes to School plan

"I think the worst one for me is one time on my way to school, I got clipped by a school bus. Where I live at, I live over in Clifton... the lights are super dim, and a lot of times they go out," Robinson said.

Stories like hers are part of why students, parents and city leaders gathered at Westwood Town Hall on Monday night marking up maps and pointing out the places where the trip to school can feel most dangerous.

In June, the city said nearly one in four traffic crashes over the previous three years happened within 1,000 feet of a school. Now, Cincinnati is updating its five-year Safe Routes to School plan, looking at where changes could make the biggest difference.

This round will focus on the western corridor, around four schools: Ethel M. Taylor Academy, Rees Price Academy, Robert Academy and Western Hills, the high school Robinson and Richard Cox attend.

"Some of the bigger changes that I think we could make are changing our streets... adding the bike lanes... narrowing the path that cars go through and then widening the space that we have for sidewalks and then on top of that, more streetlights," Robinson said.

Students say the problem can be as simple as trying to cross the street.

"Every time you walk up to the crosswalk, you're about to cross, click the button every single time... maybe like one car... they'll stop, but majority of the time they're passing by," Cox said.

Councilmember Mark Jeffreys says that firsthand input will help the city pinpoint trouble spots and decide what solutions should be part of a new $1 million grant application.

"They'll be taking input and then putting together more specifics in terms of the school areas, what kind of interventions they need based on the community saying, 'Hey, it's really this intersection here or this intersection there,' and then they'll design solutions to solve those problems from there," Jeffreys said.

"Those days where you wake up late, first thing that come to your head is I got to wait for all these lights, these cars passing, this bus to come. I got to do all of this. Hopefully, with some of these newer implements we can have students take some of those negatives away and think, well, maybe that's not around anymore so maybe I can make it today," Cox said.

Jeffreys says the health department expects to apply for the new state grant in early 2027.